Shirlene Moss

Baltimore Sun photo by Jamie Smith Hopkins

Shirlene Moss and her daughter, 16-year-old Nia Gudger, started at 4:30 this morning but discovered that their destination -- the Athletic Warehouse -- didn't open until 8 a.m. So it was on to the Arundel Mills mall in Hanover, which was definitely open and had been for hours. "It was wonderful," said Moss, 50, a data-entry worker from Brooklyn Park. "I got front-row parking. The lines were great." She bought shoes and clothes for Gudger -- no surprises, since the teenager was right there. "I don't want presents," Gudger said. "Yeah, she wants it now!" her mother said, laughing. At 8:30 a.m., the two had moved on to the Toys "R" Us in Glen Burnie, looking for stocking stuffers for Moss' 9-year-old son. Moss had already put pricier toys on layaway there before Black Friday. Not on Thanksgiving, though. She feels sorry for the retail employees who had to work that day. "I boycotted going out yesterday," Moss said. "I wanted to make it Black Friday, not Thursday." --Jamie Smith Hopkins

Shirlene Moss and her daughter, 16-year-old Nia Gudger, started at 4:30 this morning but discovered that their destination -- the Athletic Warehouse -- didn't open until 8 a.m. So it was on to the Arundel Mills mall in Hanover, which was definitely open and had been for hours. "It was wonderful," said Moss, 50, a data-entry worker from Brooklyn Park. "I got front-row parking. The lines were great." She bought shoes and clothes for Gudger -- no surprises, since the teenager was right there. "I don't want presents," Gudger said. "Yeah, she wants it now!" her mother said, laughing. At 8:30 a.m., the two had moved on to the Toys "R" Us in Glen Burnie, looking for stocking stuffers for Moss' 9-year-old son. Moss had already put pricier toys on layaway there before Black Friday. Not on Thanksgiving, though. She feels sorry for the retail employees who had to work that day. "I boycotted going out yesterday," Moss said. "I wanted to make it Black Friday, not Thursday." --Jamie Smith Hopkins (Baltimore Sun photo by Jamie Smith Hopkins)

Shirlene Moss and her daughter, 16-year-old Nia Gudger, started at 4:30 this morning but discovered that their destination -- the Athletic Warehouse -- didn't open until 8 a.m. So it was on to the Arundel Mills mall in Hanover, which was definitely open and had been for hours. "It was wonderful," said Moss, 50, a data-entry worker from Brooklyn Park. "I got front-row parking. The lines were great." She bought shoes and clothes for Gudger -- no surprises, since the teenager was right there. "I don't want presents," Gudger said. "Yeah, she wants it now!" her mother said, laughing. At 8:30 a.m., the two had moved on to the Toys "R" Us in Glen Burnie, looking for stocking stuffers for Moss' 9-year-old son. Moss had already put pricier toys on layaway there before Black Friday. Not on Thanksgiving, though. She feels sorry for the retail employees who had to work that day. "I boycotted going out yesterday," Moss said. "I wanted to make it Black Friday, not Thursday." --Jamie Smith Hopkins